Improving organisational performance through reverse logistics

Reverse logistics involves several activities that, based on decisions on how to implement and use them, seriously affect and impact the performance of an organisation. This paper analyses how different activities of reverse logistics could affect costs, and thus the performance of the organisation. The study is based on a survey of companies of the Spanish market and applies a structural model. The analysis provides evidence that: (1) based on the type of an activity, reverse logistics has different cost; therefore, it is important to select the most appropriate combination and implementation of reverse logistics activities. (2) Reverse logistics activities affect reverse logistics cost, and thus it decisively determines organisational performance. A number of implications and contributions stems from the discussion and conclusions of the study.     

Spare parts logistics and installed base information

Many of the challenges in spare parts logistics emerge due to the combination of large service networks, and sporadic/slow-moving demand. Customer heterogeneity and stringent service deadlines entail further challenges. Meanwhile, high revenue rates in service operations motivate companies to invest and optimize the service logistics function. An important aspect of the spare parts logistics function is its ability to support customer-specific requirements with respect to service deadlines. To support customer specific operations, many companies are actively maintaining and utilizing installed base data during forecasting, planning and execution stages. In this paper, we highlight the potential economic value of installed base data for spare parts logistics. We also discuss various data quality issues that are associated with the use of installed base data and show that planning performance depends on the quality dimensions.     

保税物流园区竞争性选址问题优化模型

保税物流园区的建设数量不断增加,各个园区之间的竞争问题逐渐显露,在进行新的保税物流园区建设选址时,需要考虑与现有保税物流园区的竞争问题.建立了保税物流园区竞争性选址优化模型,并针对模型设计了混合启发式算法求解.算例分析显示,货物总量一定时,随着保税物流园区建设数量的增加,每个园区货流量减少,服务质量而减少;建设规模对最大货流量产生约束,园区的服务质量不能一直增长.将程序运行10次,计算结果具有稳定性,可见算法是收敛和稳定的,模型是可行的.     

考虑罚金政策的众包物流服务质量网络均衡模型

为优化众包物流服务质量,考虑平台罚金政策,构建了包括发包方、众包平台和接包方在内的三层众包物流服务网络模型,并进行算例分析。结果表明,众包平台实施罚金政策并加大自身服务质量投入成本会促使接包方改善自身的服务质量,众包平台的服务质量和利润随之增大,但一味的增大罚金不但会使得接包方利润下降,众包平台的服务质量和利润也呈稍微下降趋势,因此平台应该选择合适的罚金区间;平台在竞争的同时也要进行一定的合作,因为平台间同步协调改进罚金政策以及质量投入会取得更大的收益和更高的平均服务质量。     

公平关切下物流服务供应链质量缺陷承诺策略研究

考虑物流服务供应链中成员的公平关切行为,以Nash讨价还价均衡解作为公平收益参照点,构建Nash讨价还价公平关切下物流服务供应链质量缺陷承诺策略模型,分析和研究公平关切对最优策略、利润和效用的影响。研究结果表明,物流服务质量缺陷承诺水平随着物流服务集成商公平关切系数的增加而减少,却随着物流服务提供商公平关切系数的增加而增加;物流服务订购量随着物流服务集成商公平关切系数的增加而减少,也随着物流服务提供商公平关切系数的增加而减少;当物流服务提供商的公平关切系数增加时,物流服务供应链中各成员的利润和效用以及整体利润和效用都会不断减少;但当物流服务提供商的公平关切程度一定而物流服务集成商的公平关切系数增加时,物流服务供应链中各成员的利润和效用以及整体利润和效用不断提高。     

Decision method for the optimal number of logistics service providers with service quality guarantee and revenue fairness

This study investigates the problem that logistics service integrator (LSI) selects the optimal number of its functional logistics service providers (FLSPs) based on the service quality defect guarantee promised by FLSP and the revenue fairness concerns of LSI. This paper introduces a fairness entropy function to establish a new game model for determining the optimal number of FLSPs. Some conclusions about the impact of parameters on the optimal number of FLSPs are proposed with numerical analysis. For example, as the fairness constraints are satisfied, LSI prefers FLSPs who have higher level of business capacity which results a smaller number of FLSPs.     

A multiblock PLS‐based algorithm applied to a causal model in marketing

A modern approach to logistics allows it to be understood and used for its capacity to generate value, because value is managerially important as a strategic objective for any firm. In the present work a particular view of this approach is offered by providing a structural model where logistics service quality and sacrifices contribute to the formation of logistics value, but where service quality is also an important determinant of satisfaction. This combined approach, tested with multiblock partial least‐sqaures path modelling, in the particular setting of a business‐to‐business encounter, provides empirical support for a chain of effects between service quality–logistics value–satisfaction–loyalty without underestimating the important effect of service quality on satisfaction and satisfaction on loyalty in industrial settings. This proposed conceptual model of the relationship between customer loyalty and the various contributing factors to that loyalty is the main contribution in this paper. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

考虑公平关切的O2O模式下物流服务供应链定价策略博弈分析

针对两个物流服务提供商(FLSP)和单个物流服务集成商自营的线上物流平台(LSIO)组成的两层O2O模式下物流服务供应链,即考虑物流服务集成商(LSI)自营线上物流平台的情形,将公平关切引入到O2O模式下物流服务供应链的定价决策中,基于Stackelberg博弈模型,研究物流服务提供商(FLSP)的公平关切有限理性行为对物流服务供应链成员定价策略和效用的影响。研究结论表明:在仅考虑横向公平关切和考虑双向公平关切这两种情形下,后进入市场的物流服务提供商(FLSP2)都应控制自己的横向公平关切行为,否则会影响O2O模式下物流服务供应链的发展;在考虑双向公平关切的情形下,先进入市场的物流服务提供商(FLSP1)发现分配给自己的物流服务订单量减少后,FLSP1会对LSIO产生纵向不公平厌恶,而FLSP1的纵向公平关切程度达到一定水平后,物流服务集成商自营的线上物流平台(LSIO)应重视 FLSP1的纵向公平关切,避免物流服务提供商流失。     

Design of intermodal logistics networks with hub delays

In an intermodal hub network, cost benefits can be achieved through the use of intermodal shipments and the economies of scale due to consolidation of flows at the hubs. However, due to limited resources at the logistics hubs, shipment delays may affect the service performance. In this research hub operations are modeled as a GI/G/1 queuing network and the shipments as multiple job classes with deterministic routings. By integrating the hub operation queuing model and the hub location-allocation model, the effect of limited hub resources on the design of intermodal logistics networks under service time requirements is investigated. The managerial insights gained from a study of 25-city road-rail intermodal logistics network show that the level of available hub resources significantly affects the logistics network structure in terms of number and location of hubs, total network costs, choice of single-hub and inter-hub shipments and service performance.     

随机需求下物流服务供应链订购策略研究

针对由单个物流服务提供商和集成商组成的物流服务供应链,基于集中化模式、纳什博弈模式和Stackelberg博弈模式三种典型模式,考虑市场需求随机且受服务质量缺陷承诺水平的影响,探讨物流服务供应链的订购与质量缺陷承诺策略问题。通过分析发现:物流服务质量缺陷承诺水平随着市场需求弹性系数的增加而递减,但其受物流服务集成商观测水平的影响却因合作模式不同而变化不一致;集中化模式下的物流服务订购量随着物流服务集成商观测水平或市场需求弹性系数的增大而递减,但在其他两种合作模式下物流服务订购量随着物流服务集成商观测水平或市场需求弹性系数的增加而增加;在三种模式下,物流服务供应链的整体利润随着市场需求弹性系数的增加而递减,但其受物流服务集成商观测水平的影响却因合作模式不同而变化不一致。     

考虑外协服务的车辆路径优化问题

降低零售企业的末端配送成本是控制物流成本的关键,共享经济的发展为此提供了新思路。因此,针对零售企业末端上门配送服务成本较高的情况,提出了考虑外协的车辆服务策略,将有意愿进行单次交付的线下客户作为协作车辆配合普通车辆来完成线上客户订单的配送,建立了以最小化普通车辆路径成本,普通车辆使用成本,时间窗惩罚成本和协作车辆补偿成本为目标函数的数学模型,并设计匹配算法和混合遗传算子的模拟退火算法对该模型进行求解,最后结合算例对提出的算法进行检验与分析。     

Demand uncertainty in construction supply chains: a discrete event simulation study

The delivery of construction projects is typically an assembly operation involving a high number of subassemblies and materials brought on site by the supply chain. However, although supply chain management in construction has attracted significant attention, paradoxically little focus has been placed on construction supply networks and operations. This paper places emphasis on supply chain operations by looking at the logistics function of construction material suppliers. Specifically, the paper examines the impact of demand uncertainty on supply chain performance in order to assess the capacity of material distribution companies to provide a timely and cost-efficient service to the construction industry. The study adopts a discrete event simulation approach to assess the impact of demand fluctuations on two crucial logistics performance measures; lead time and cost efficiency. The results show that lead times are particularly sensitive to fluctuations under conditions of low demand. The findings also reveal that, although transport is a significant cost element for lower demand levels, higher inventory costs result in a negative exponential relationship between increasing demand and cost efficiency.     

我国物流上市企业规模效率及影响因素研究

本文实证分析了1999-2009年间28家物流上市企业规模效率的动态变化和影响因素。结果表明:规模效率均值为0.784,尚有21.6%的改善空间,企业总资产不是规模效率的决定因素;稳定繁荣的宏观经济形势、资产的快速周转、可提供差异化的产品和服务都有助于规模效率的提升,而规模效率的改善与行业行政垄断是负向关系。研究显示提高资产的利用效率和差异化服务水平是利于规模效率进步的,政府应进一步提高交通运输部门的综合运管协调能力,提高企业规模效率。     

考虑服务水平的逆向物流网络优化决策

针对电子产品的售后维修服务问题,建立了一个同时考虑成本和服务质量的多目标逆向物流网络优化模型;该问题是多目标的NP-hard问题,应用NSGA-II算法和多目标模拟退火算法(MOSA)两种多目标进化算法,对模型进行求解并对其求解的效果进行比较分析;多组算例测试结果表明,NSGA-II相比MOSA更具优势。     

New formulations and solution procedures for the hop constrained network design problem

Optical fiber provides tremendous advantages in being able to carry a wide range of services including video on demand, video conferencing, distance learning, remote medical imaging, and telecommuting. The high capacities encourage carriers to create networks that are substantially sparser than previous copper based networks. A recent publication by the Telecommunications Industry Association indicated that investment in fiber optics is projected to reach $35 billion in the year 2003. Given the magnitude of investments, the design of networks becomes a very important issue. Most telecommunication companies (telcos), IT consulting companies, network equipment manufacturers and network service providers have extensive network design groups. The primary function of these groups is to design the most efficient networks both in terms of costs and performance and maintain them. These designers need flexible tools to support topological network design decisions. These decisions involve significant levels of investments in transmissions and switching facilities, and impact the resulting networks’ performance fundamentally.In this paper we study a special type of a network design problem called the hop constrained backbone network design problem. We present new mathematical programming formulations of the problem and develop an efficient solution procedure based on the linear programming relaxation. Extensive computational results across a number of networks are reported.     

中国产业IT能力与产业绩效的耦合协调度研究——基于微观数据的产业分类测度

随着互联网+战略的深入推进,了解不同产业内信息技术能力与产业绩效之间的协调发展情况,对于系统把握我国的信息化发展水平,分类制定有效产业政策具有重要意义。有别于以往采用宏观产业数据,重点评价工业化与信息化融合度,本文主要基于2008~2015年的上市公司的微观数据,采用耦合协调模型,分类测度四大类产业的IT能力与产业绩效的耦合协调度。研究发现:总体上看我国的产业IT能力与产业绩效之间存在中高度耦合关系,但耦合质量不高,耦合协调度处于中低水平,呈现逐渐上升趋势;此外,我国的不同的产业之间的耦合协调度发展趋势存在差异性,本文进一步分析了该差异的存在的原因,并提出政策建议。     

基于客户信用度的物流配送车辆路径问题研究

针对当前城市物流配送过程中普遍存在的客户中途取消订单、无故退换货等交易违约问题,引入客户信用度的测度方法。根据客户历史交易违约数据计算客户信用值,并转化求解客户信用度,构建了包含车辆配送成本、租赁成本以及违反时间窗惩罚成本的配送路径优化模型。设计了一种遗传(GA)-禁忌搜索(TS)混合算法进行模型求解,在算法过程中应用精英保留策略进行循环迭代寻优。结合重庆某外卖物流配送网络的实例数据,验证了模型和算法的有效性和可行性。实验结果给出了不同服务策略下的物流配送调度方案,并进行了基于客户信用度的客户配送服务序列调整比较和敏感度分析。研究表明客户信用等级的合理划分可以有效降低物流配送成本和提高客户服务水平。     

Hub location–allocation in intermodal logistic networks

Within the context of intermodal logistics, the design of transportation networks becomes more complex than it is for single mode logistics. In an intermodal network, the respective modes are characterized by the transportation cost structure, modal connectivity, availability of transfer points and service time performance. These characteristics suggest the level of complexity involved in designing intermodal logistics networks. This research develops a mathematical model using the multiple-allocation p-hub median approach. The model encompasses the dynamics of individual modes of transportation through transportation costs, modal connectivity costs, and fixed location costs under service time requirements. A tabu search meta-heuristic is used to solve large size (100 node) problems. The solutions obtained using this meta-heuristic are compared with tight lower bounds developed using a Lagrangian relaxation approach. An experimental study evaluates the performance of the intermodal logistics networks and explores the effects and interactions of several factors on the design of intermodal hub networks subject to service time requirements.     

网络购物环境下物流满意评价模型及实证研究

中国网络购物发展迅速,市场规模持续递增.物流在网络购物中的作用不容忽视,已成为影响其发展的重要因素.在国外物流服务质量评价指标与中国本土物流服务质量评价指标基础上,结合顾客对中国网络购物物流抱怨的集中点,构建物流满意评价指标,运用层次分析法确定评价指标的权重,应用模糊综合评价理论构建物流满意评价模型,通过实证分析验证了模型的有效性,并尝试提出一些改善物流满意的措施.     

An interval type-2 fuzzy sets-based TODIM method and its application to green supplier selection

With the increasing awareness and significant environmental pressures from various stakeholders, companies have realized the significance of selecting green suppliers to their supply chain activities, which involves multiple criteria with uncertainty and the decision makers’ behaviour with irrational. Interval type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2 FSs) have advantages in modelling uncertainty over type-1 fuzzy sets. And TODIM is an useful non-linear prospect model for selecting the irrationally determined alternatives, but the ratings and weights are crisp values. In this paper, we develop the IT2 FSs-based TODIM method to select green supplier. First, we introduce a new distance computing method for IT2 FSs to assist the dominance models to deal with gains (losses) computation. Second, we identify the gains (losses) computing expression through comparing the ranking values of the IT2 FSs evaluations, and obtain the dominance degree of one alternative over others. Third, we use the presented IT2 FSs ranking method using possibility mean and variation coefficient concepts to defuzzify the dominance degree, and obtain the crisp global performance to select the best alternative. Finally, we also apply the proposed IT2 FSs-based TODIM method to green supplier selection for automobile manufacturers.